The Lion King 2: Kiara-A True Queen
By Malli

Chapter 1: A run-in with trouble

	Dust swirled about, stinging young Kiara's eyes. Her paws pounded into the 
earth. She gasped desperately for air. Her heart raced faster and faster, 
and sweat dripped down her furry cheeks. Her pursuers, Shenzi's daughter, 
Belatu, and Banzai's son, Halamiti, taunted her.
	"C'mere, little princess! We're HUNGRY!"
Kiara continued to run. She felt her heart beating so fast she thought that 
it might pop right out of her chest. The hyenas cornered the princess 
against a wall.
	"Lunchtime!" Belatu said evilly as she licked her lips.
	"Oh, good. I'm starved." Halamiti laughed back.
Fear streaked Kiara's face. Before anything else happened, there was a huge
	"ROAR!!!!"
	"Mommy!" Kiara cried happily.
Nala seemed to come out of nowhere. She swiped a paw at Halamiti's face, 
leaving bloody streaks.
	"Ay! Ay! Ay!" he yipped, running in the other direction.
	"Why'd ya' hurt my FRIEND!?" growled Belatu. She jumped on Nala's back.
Nala and the hyena cub started to fight eachother, biting and clawing, 
scratching and snarling. Finally Nala flipped over and hurled Belatu about 
20 feet away. Belatu landed with a thud, then finally scurried away.
	"Mom..." Kiara said quietly, looking embarrassed.
	"Kiara!" Nala said with exasperation. "Didn't you hear Dad and me say not 
to go to the Elephant Graveyard?!" Kiara's eyes filled with tears.
	"I'm sorry, Mom."
	"You're not to leave your room for a week. Any arguing and it will be 
longer."
	 She picked Kiara up by the nape of her neck and carried her home.

Chapter 2: An old friend returns

	Kiara lay on her bed that night, crying.
	"It's not fair!" She thought to herself. "My parents never let me do 
anything on my own. They're never going to let me grow up!"
She remembered one day when she was supposed to stay near the Pride Lands, 
but when Timon and Pumbaa, her babysitters, weren't watching, she had snuck 
off to explore alone. She had met a new friend, Kovu, a young cub who was a 
member of Scar's pride. Then her father and Kovu's mother, Zira, came and 
tore them away from eachother. She hadn't seen what was the matter. She was 
afraid she would never see him again.
	Kiara's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a tapping on her window. It 
was pitch-black out side, but when the moon came out from behind a cloud, 
the Pridelands was covered by moonlight. Kiara saw a pair of green eyes and 
a smiling face looking at her. 	"Kovu! It's you!" she cried.
	She let him in, quietly, in fear of waking her parents. Kiara and Kovu 
embraced. 	"What are you doing here?" she asked.
	"I missed you. I wanted to see you."
	"Oh, you're sweet, Kovu," Kiara said, "but my parents might wake up and 
catch you here!"
	 "No, they won't." Kovu said and kissed her on the cheek. Kiara blushed.
	"Gee."
	"Let's go look at the stars!" she suggested.
	"OK," Kovu agreed, and so they went outside. They sat outside for what 
seemed like hours, talking, giggling and staring at the stars. They became 
so tired that they curled up beside eachother and fell asleep.

Chapter 3: Sorrow in the Pridelands

	Kiara woke up bright and early the next morning. She gave Kovu a lick on 
the cheek to awaken him.
	"Wake up, silly." She smiled at him.
	Kovu sat up and yawned. He looked at over the horizon. Suddenly, his eyes 
widened. He started to tremble. His heart started pounding. He could barely 
breathe.
	"K-Kiara." He stuttered.
	"Kovu? W-What's wrong?"
	"RUN!" Kovu screamed. He started to run.
	"What? AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Kiara screamed when she turned around. A cheetah was 
headed straight for them. The young princess ran, trying desperately to 
catch up with her friend. But it was not long until the cheetah was on their 
tails, nipping and biting. Kiara and Kovu feared for their lives.
	"ROAR!" they heard. It was Simba.
	He started to fight the cheetah. Tearing, clawing, scratching, biting. But 
the cheetah was as big as Simba and a good fighter.
	"Stop!" cried another voice. It was Nala.
She and some other lionesses had come to rescue Simba. The cheetah jumped 
off Simba and ran away.
	"Simba!" cried Nala. She rushed to the king's side.
	"No." Kiara stared at her father, barely breathing.
	"Nala. Kiara." Simba said weakly. "Nala, take care of the Pridelands for 
me. Make me proud." He smiled at her. Nala smiled a teary-eyed smile back.
	"Kiara."
	"Yes, Daddy?" Kiara asked.
	"Remember: we are one." Simba's eyes closed, and didn't move again. Nala 
started to weep, burying her head in Simba's mane. The lionesses came over 
to her and tried to comfort her. Nobody noticed two young cubs scurry off 
out of the crowd.

Chapter 4: The Outlanders

	"Kiara! Where are you going?"
	Kiara ignored Kovu. She just kept running. She didn't care where she was 
going, when she would get there, or who would be there to help her. She just 
wanted to get away from the Pridelands. Away from the memories. Away from 
the sadness. When he stopped running to catch her breath, she found that she 
was in a dark, dreary place with bones, dirt, and dead stuff all over the 
place. Just then, Kovu caught up with her.
	"Oh, look!" a sneering voice said. "It's Simba's little daughter!"
Out of the shadows came Vitani. Kiara gasped as she realized that she was in 
the Outlands.
	"Ooh, the princess. We feel so honored. " said another taunting voice. It 
was Nuka. Then Zira appeared too, with a group of lionesses right behind 
her.
	"Hello, little princess." She said, with a sneer smile.
	"Leave me alone!" the frightened Kiara growled.  "RRR! you better not touch 
me!"
	"I don't want to hurt you, little darling."
	"What are you talking about, Mother?" Kovu asked. The cubs gave questioning 
looks.
	"I just want to know....what are you doing here?" Zira said.
	"Well, m-" Kiara hesitated to finish her sentence.
	"What?" Zira asked her.
	"My father died." Zira's eyes widened.
	"Did you hear that, everyone?" she called out. "The king died."
	There were sounds of gasps, talking and whispering through the crowd of 
lions. 	"Oh, you poor thing," Vitani said, putting an arm around Kiara's 
shoulder. "Don't be sad."
	Even though Kiara was surrounded by her enemies, she was so sad, she didn't 
think of that. She began to cry.
	"It's OK," Vitani crooned. "You're an Outlander now."
	"What?" Kiara gasped.
	"You are, aren't you?" Kiara looked around her.
	"They seem sympathetic enough," she thought, "so I guess I'll stay."
	"Yes," she said. "I'll stay."
	"Excellent." Zira said to herself while the lions went to hug Kiara. 
"Excellent."

Chapter 5: Forgotten past

	Many years went by. Every day Kiara forgot more about her past and became 
more like an Outlander. Zira taught her to hunt, to hate, to hate 
Pridelanders. One night, Vitani was telling Kiara to hunt the next day.
	"Why me?" she snapped. "You're so lazy, YOU do it!" she yelled at Vitani.
	 "It's YOUR job!" Vitani screamed back.
	"You're always bossing me! I hate it!"
	"You're always bossing ME!"
	"Leave me alone!" yelled Kiara and stormed off to her room.
	"Fine!" Vitani yelled back and stomped off, too. Kiara flopped on her bed 
and stared out at the night sky. Tears formed in her eyes.
	"I don't care about Vitani anyway!" she muttered to herself.
	"What's troubling you?" Zira asked her as she came into the room. Kiara 
sighed. 	"Nothing."
	"Really, what's the matter?"
	"Well, sometimes I feel that-." Zira looked at her intently, waiting for 
her to finish. 	"I feel that I don't belong here. That there's some life 
I've left behind. But what?" She paused. "It doesn't make sense, does it?"
	"My dear," Zira said sweetly, "it's all right. Everyone feels a little sad 
sometimes. But then they feel better later on." She smiled at Kiara and 
hugged her, then left the room. But Kiara was still unsure.
	The next day, Kiara and Kovu were outside.
	"Hey, Kee." Kovu said. "Let's go hunt! I just HAVE to practice!"
	Kiara remained laying on the ground with her head low, not saying a word.
	"Hey, buddy, what's the matter?" Kovu asked.
	"Kovu." Kiara sat up and looked deep into Kovu's eyes.
	"You're my best friend. Tell me the truth."
	"What are you talking about?"
	"What I want to know is, have I always been an Outlander?"
	Kovu thought to himself, "Should I tell her?" But he decided to do what was 
right. He signed and shook his head. "No."
	"Then who was I before? Where did I live? Where's my real family?"
	"You are the King Simba's daughter." "Simba?" Kiara squinted her eyes. "I 
don't remember." Then she said, "Kovu, take me to my old home!"
	Kovu grinned at his friend. "Come on!" He started running, and Kiara 
followed him. They started off toward Kiara's true home-the Pridelands.

Chapter 6: Kiara Returns

	Kovu brought the lioness to a strange place that had no place in her 
memory. Green, healthy grass, trees with many leaves, a big, lustrous water 
hole with clean, sparkling, water. It seemed like a paradise.
	"Kovu, I used to live here?" she asked with surprise is her voice.
	"Yes, these are the Pridelands." He pointed at an unusual-looking rock in 
the distance.
	"That is Pride Rock," he said, "where the queen lives. And the king used to 
live there."
	"But how could that be, Kovu? I have no memory of that place even in the 
least!" They walked closer and closer to the big rock.
	"Any memories, yet, Kee?" Kovu asked.
	 "No." she said.
	They sat down next to the spot where Simba had been killed-right in front 
of Pride Rock. Kiara stared at the mysterious rock, when an image flashed in 
her mind. It seemed like a dream, but still, seemed clear. She saw....her 
and Kovu as cubs. In trouble. Cheetah. Her father. "Dad!" the cub in her 
mind screamed. Then her father was dead.
	"My father." Kiara said under her breath.
	"Huh?" Kovu asked.
	"He died for us...Cheetah..my father. Simba." "Oh, Kovu, I remember!" she 
cried. "I ran away. You came with me."
	"To the Outlands." Kovu nodded.
	"Oh, Kovu!" Tears streamed down the princess' face.
	"There, there." Kovu hugged her. Kiara gasped.
	"Mother!" Kiara ran off towards The cave that used to be her home. She saw 
her mother, staring out the window. She seemed so sad.
	"Mom!" Nala turned around.
	"Kiara! You've come back!" The lioness rushed up to embrace her mother. 
Then some other lionesses came in.
	"What? The princess?" one said. "She's back!"
	They went to hug Kiara, too. Kovu walked up to the doorway. He smiled at 
his friend. Then he dashed away, to go home.
	"Hey! What's going on around here?!" A voice exclaimed. It was Timon.
	"The king's daughter is back!" Pumbaa exclaimed too. They went up to hug 
and welcome Kiara back, too. Everyone was happy and crying and laughing and 
hugging. The Princess had returned.

Chapter 7: Becoming a Queen

	The next day, Nala and Kiara went for a walk.
	"You know, Kiara, I will not be around forever, and soon, you will have to 
be the queen."
	"Yes, I know."
	"And there will soon have to be a king." Nala said.
	Kiara thought of Kovu and smiled to herself. "Yes." Kiara said.
	"The Pridelands were in terrible shape without your father. The grounds 
became dry and bare, and some hyenas came back. Including Belatu and 
Halamiti."
	Kiara blushed. "Yes, I remember them."
	"But..what happened...that day?" Nala asked. "the night when you ran away?" 
	"The pain was too much. I had to get away. But where were you, Mom? Why 
didn't you come after me?"
	 "I heard that you had gone to the Outlands. You know how news spreads. I 
was afraid, I thought you would come to your senses and come back. It was 
cowardly of me. I'm sorry." Tears filled Nala's eyes.
	"There's nothing to do about the past, Mother." Kiara said, tears filling 
her eyes, too.
	"Don't worry about it. I should have come back sooner, too." She smiled 
hopefully at her mother. "I'll forgive you, if you forgive me."
	"I forgive you." Nala said.
	"I forgive you, too, Mother." They embraced.
	"Let's go home." Nala said.
	"All right." Kiara said. They went home. That night, Kiara sat under the 
stars, staring and enjoying their beautiful light. She saw one star shimmer 
a bit more than the others.
	"Hello, father." she whispered. She couldn't help but remember the night 
that Kovu and she had lay under the stars, enjoying their light, like she 
was doing now. She suddenly heard some rustling behind her. She whipped 
around. She saw a pair of green eyes and a smiling face looking at her.
	"Kovu, you brat!" You scared me!" she laughed. She pounced on her friend.
	The two started to roll around and wrestle, as if they were cubs again. 
When they stopped, they sat up and looked at the stars. Then they looked 
into eachother's eyes. They nuzzled.
	"Stay with me," said Kiara softly. "Then I can be your queen."
	 "I can't." Kovu said. "I have to go back."
	"Stay."
	"Goodbye, Kiara." Kovu ran off in the opposite direction, with tears in his 
eyes. 	"Kovu!" Kiara yelled after him. But it was too late. He was gone.

Chapter 8: Anger in the Outlands

	In the morning, Zira yelled,
	"Wake up!" into Kovu's ear and pounded her paw on the floor. Kovu's eyes 
jerked open.
	"WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?" she screamed. "AND HOW COULD YOU LET HER GET 
AWAY?"
	"Mother, I let her go because I love her."
	"Love her?! Are you out of your mind?!" Zira yelled again. "Don't you see? 
My plan was to keep her here long enough so that eventually the Queen would 
trade the Kingdom for her!"
	 "What?" Kovu asked, with fear in his voice.
	 "It's true. That's what I meant to do. You would have been the prince. And 
I, QUEEN! But YOU had to go and foul up my plans, didn't you?!"
	"You're mad, Mother!" Kovu said. He started to turn away.
	"Don't you turn you back on me! You are Scar's son!"
	"That's where you're wrong, Mother!" Kovu yelled.
	"You WILL be King! Tomorrow, we will go to Pride Rock and GET KIARA BACK!"
	"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Kovu screamed and ran as fast as he could out of there.
	"You WILL be king! You WILL be king!" she screamed after him. Kovu ran as 
fast as his legs would carry him. He was breathless when he arrived at 
Kiara's cave. 	"Kiara!"
	"Kovu, darling, you're back!"
	"Kiara! You're not safe!"
	"What do you mean?"
	"My mother. Zira. She's coming tomorrow, to take you back!"
	"What?"
	"We must hide. To protect you from her."
	"What's going on?" Nala asked him.
	"What are YOU doing here?!" She growled at Kovu. "YOU are a member of 
SCAR's pride!"
	"Mom! It's OK! He came to warn me about Zira. She's coming to take me back 
tomorrow!"
	 "What?!"
	 "Please trust me, Queen. I'm telling the truth."
	Nala's frown turned to a smile. "All right. I see you care about Kiara. I'm 
sorry." 	Kovu smiled back.
	"Don't worry, my daughter. I will make sure no one harms you." Nala said.
	"Yeah, me too." Kovu said. Kiara and Kovu smiled at eachother and nuzzled. 
	"Thank you, Nala." Kovu said.
	"Thank you, Mother. Thank you Kovu." Kiara said.
	"You may stay here today." Nala told Kovu. Kovu stayed at Pride Rock for 
the day. He and Kiara slept peacefully side by side that night in Kiara's 
cave.

Chapter 9: Defeating Zira

	Kiara and Kovu awoke the next morning, and gave eachother a good-morning 
nuzzle.
	"I'm scared, Kovu." Kiara said.
	"I am too, my dear." Kovu said. "But we must be brave,and not lose hope."
	Nala walked up and greeted them.
	"Are you all right?" She smiled at them.
	"Yes." Kiara smiled back.
	"Give my daughter back, Nala!" a voice from behind them said.
	"Zira!" Nala cried. Zira was there with all of the other Outlanders, 
including Vitani and Nuka.
	"Come back with us, Kiara. remember how I was your mother?" Zira said with 
a smirk.
	"What!? Kiara, don't listen!" Kovu cried.
	"No!" Nala yelled.
	"Remember how we loved you? Remember how your mother didn't even run after 
you when your father died?" Zira said.
	"No! You know it's not true!" Nala cried.
	"You loved me." Kiara said, as if in a trance. "Mother. I'll go with you, 
Mother." 	"Kiara! What are you doing?" Kovu cried.
	"You're my real mother." Kiara said to Zira.
	"Looks like you lose." Zira sneered.
But when Zira's back was turned, Kiara pounced upon her, digging her claws 
in as deep as she could.
	"AHHHHHHHHH!" Zira screamed. The two rolled around, biting and snarling. 
Nala jumped on top of them, too, biting and clawing, trying desperately to 
get Zira off of her daughter. The three lionesses went rolling into a wall. 
Just then the Outlanders and Kovu caught up with them. Kiara pinned Zira up 
with her paws.
	"You lied to me. You told me you cared about me. That you were my TRUE 
mother! But it was all just Outlander LIES!"
	"Now, now." Zira said nervously. "Let's not do anything irrational."
Kiara let Zira go. Zira tumbled down, seemingly weak.
	"I'll make a deal with you." Kiara said. "If you promise that you and every 
Outlander here will leave and NEVER come back, I won't hurt you."
	"Oh, I promise, Princess." Zira said. Kiara started to turn away. But when 
Kiara's back was turned, Zira pounced on her and held her down, holding her 
outstetched claws to Kiara's face.
	"You were wrong. It's YOU who will die." Zira said threateningly.
	"Hey, look!" A voice said. As Zira turned around, Kiara jumped up from her 
grasp.
	"It's Scar's wife!" the voice said. It was the hyenas.
	"Let's get her!" They came at Zira. She ran 'till they cornered her on the 
edge of a gorge.
	"Scar treated us like trash!" Halamiti bared his teeth at her and caused 
Zira to back up.
	"Now you must pay!" But before they did anything, Zira lost her footing, 
tumbled down and fell to her death. Kovu rushed up to the edge of the cliff.
	Mother!" he called. Tears formed in his eyes. With that, the hyenas and 
Outlanders scampered away, never to return.

Chapter 10: A Happy Ending

With Zira and the hyenas gone, there was finally peace in the Pridelands. 
Kiara soon became Queen and Kovu, her King. They had a baby girl cub and 
named her Larani. The cub grew quickly and was taught to be kind, gentle, 
loving, and that "We are one." One morning Kiara was telling a story about 
Larani's grandfather.
	"Your grandfather was a great lion, and great king, a great father. He 
taught me that 'we are one'." After Kiara finished the story, her eager 
little daughter asked,
	Mama, may I go and play?" Kiara laughed. "Yes, you may go, young one."
	"Yay! Bye, Mom!" Kiara laughed again.
	"Bye, dear."
	"Kawnu!" "KAWNUUUUUUUUU! Where are you?!!!!" Larani called. She was 
surprised by another young cub coming ot from behind her and puncing, 
causing them to do somersaults.
	"Ha-ha! Hi, Kawnu! " Larani laughed, laying on her back, looking up at her 
best friend.
	"Hey, buddy, what's new?" he asked. Larani sat up.
	"Mama was telling me about Grandpa again."
	"Simba?"
	"Yeah."
	"Yeah, my parents tell me about him, too. They say that he was a great 
king." He smiled at her.
	"Anyway," Kawnu said, "What should we play?"
	"Tag." Larani said. She tapped Kawnu on the shoulder.
	"You're it!" The cubs continued to pounce and play.
The next day, when the sun was centered over Pride Rock, Queen Kiara and 
King Kovu sat atop the magnificent rock, looking out over their kingdom. 
They were really proud of their reign. They knew that their daughter would 
grow up to be a great queen and ruler of the Pridelands. They nuzzled, 
showing the affection they felt for eachother. They knew that there was a 
marvelous future ahead of them. They knew with faith, love, and 
understanding, the circle of life would continue forever.

			       THE END